RhodyPatriot

Steve Young made those comments after the game and I completely agree. The team doesn't have the energy and the sharpness right now. They're not crisp and emotionally fired up and no team is going to be on top of it for 16 straight weeks. (This is the game I feared the most and said so a couple of weeks ago) Young says the last two weeks are basically losses that the Patriots have fought their way through and won despite not playing anywhere close to their best. Said every championship team he's been around has gone through this type of lull, have struggled and some have lost games while going through this flat period and teams just have to play through it.
Makes sense!
Keep in mind the Patriots have played only 5 home games through the first 12 and the last three have been night games with two of those on the road.
What this team needs and will finally get is some home cooking and some normalcy of schedule.
Next three games are at home and on Sunday afternoons.
This Patriots team will be just fine. Just fine!!

ironwasp

He is spot on. All top sportspeople talk about the difficulty of maintaining focus and intensity levels throughout long tough seasons and even the peerless ones like Tiger Woods and Roger Federer drop off their game at some point. (Although Federer comes very close to being the exception that proves the rule) But what all great teams and players share is an ability to win when they are off their best.

In retrospect, I think the bye week came at a difficult time for the Pats this year and was something of a momentum killer, although I had felt at the time that its timing was perfect.

There is no doubt in my mind also that the incessant media hype about being perfect is adding an enormous and unwelcome extra layer of pressure for this team and whatever they say about not thinking about it, I don't buy it. Who wouldn't? It's human nature. These guys are sports stars at the top of their profession and have the opportunity to do something unique and historic.

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RhodyPatriot

I understand what you're saying about the bye week but I'm not so sure it would have mattered had it come earlier in the season. The team was destined to go through this flat period at some point. This Ravens game was the one I feared the most because they have so many playmakers and proud veterans on that defense. Just knew they would come to play and they did.
BTW the Steelers will be everyone's sexy pick next weekend and I love it.
I see the Patriots romping next Sunday. I really do!!

ironwasp

Well I sure hope you're right, because i can't deal with too many more like last night's. Here's hoping for a clear, crisp, still day in sunny Foxborough.

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DarrylS

Certainly better than Kornheiser's analysis, they are not playing bad.. just not that great like we say for the first 10 games...

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RhodyPatriot

I'm with you. Looking forward to a "normal" Sunday afternoon of 40 degree weather and a 38 - 17 Patriot win.
Love the Patriots against the Steelers this weekend.

RhodyPatriot

Steelers are 2 - 3 on the road this year

at Browns 34-7 W
at Cardinals 14-21 L
at Broncos 28-31 L
at Bengals 24-13 W
at Jets 16-19 L

Patsfanin Philly

Must be that the hotels on the road aren't meeting all the requirements of the 18 page spec sheet the Steelers handed out.........

shakadave

But we can't use the word "normal" for one more week, right? We'll be facing the Steelers with 32 hours' less rest than a normal team.

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Please, God, don't let us ever suck as bad as the 2011 Cowboys did in the Jets opener.
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"I got a little shine on and showed you guys a little taste of my speed."

----Vince Wilfork, Jan. 7, 2007